1. Disclosure Document Program
A Disclosure Document Deposit Request was filed by the inventor, James R. Craven, on Jan. 5, 1999 having No. 449518.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trailer hitch covers, and, more particularly, is concerned with an illuminated receiver-style trailer hitch cover with a decorative logo design on the lens face.
Other trailer hitch covers have been described in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,178 issued to Morrison on Feb. 18, 1997. Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,593.170 issued to Chiu on Jan. 14. 1997.
The ornamental cover is installed on a rectangular, tubular trailer hitch socket for substantially covering or concealing the otherwise undecorated opening of the hitch socket. The cover is configured to be quickly and easily installed over and partly within the opening of any standard frame-mounted hitch socket, thereby improving the aesthetic appeal of the rear of a vehicle so equipped. In the preferred embodiment, the cover includes a plate that includes an outer surface bearing user-selected ornamentation and an insert extending from the center of the inner surface of the plate. The insert is dimensioned for insertion into a standard rectangular hitch socket. An ear extends from the insert and away from the plate for securing the cover partly within the socket. The ear is offset from the center of the insert so that when the cover is installed the ear extends substantially parallel to and adjacent an interior wall of the socket. The ear has a circular bore formed therein, into which an internally threaded nutsert is press fitted. The ornamental cover is firmly secured to the hitch socket by a round, Allen-headed fastener that extends through a hold in a wall of the hitch socket and threadedly engages the nutsert.
A cover for protecting a trailer hitch ball or box beam comprises a resilient body having a wiring connector integrally formed therewith. Moisture, dirt and physical damage of the trailer hitch ball is minimized through use of the protective cover.
While these trailer hitch covers may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a 12-volt illuminated receiver style trailer hitch cover with a decorative or logo design on the lens face. The present invention lights when the brake pedal of the vehicle is pushed. The receiver cover of the present invention is designed to fit into a two-inch standard receiver trailer hitch and plugs into the existing trailer hitch wiring harness from which it receives its power. The present invention has a square tube mounted thereon which tube is inserted into the vehicle trailer hitch receiver. An automotive light bulb is mounted at the opening between the tube and the face of the socket for illumination. The lens of the present invention is a two-color. plastic lens which has a variety of decorative designs on its face. The lens face can be decorated with different vinyl decals to create a wide variety of designs for the face of the trailer hitch.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ornamental design to be attached to the trailer hitch of a vehicle. A further object of the present invention is to provide a decorative design which can reflect the user""s support for a favorite sports team or other organization. A further object of the present invention is to protect the trailer hitch receiver tube from outside debris and water in order to prevent rust. A final object of the present invention is to provide a receiver for the trailer hitch light plug electrical wiring harness in order to prevent it from hanging loose when it is not being used and thereby being damaged by weather or road related hazards.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is. therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.